Improvement in hat-ironing machines



mi tant@ GEORGE W. STUUT AND J UHNKC. RICHARDSON, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN- OBS T0 THEMSELTES, JAMES DAVIS, JR., A ND SAMUEL R. HWLEY, ASSIGNORSL TO SAID STOUT, JANIES H. PRENllCE, SAID DAVIS, Jn., AND H.y WLEY.

Letters Paten?- No. 84,915, dated December 15, 1868.

-cookv IIVEPROVEMENT IN HAT-IRQNING- CIVIACHIIINES.A

To allfwhomit may concern v Be it known that we, GEORGE lV. STOU'r and JOHN C. RICHARDSON, both of the city of Newark, in the county of Essex, and Sta-te of New Jersey, have made certain Improvement-s in various parts of the Hat-Finishin g Machine for which a patent was issued-to GEORGE W. SToUT, J ons @.Rnumansos, J Amms Davis, Jr., and SAMUEL R. Hsiwmer, assignees of GEORGE W. S'roU'rl and JOHN C. R101-manson, said patent bearing date December 3, 1867; and we do hereby decla-re the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, to be'suc-h a description of our improvements as to admit of construction and use therefrom.

Om newly-invented improvements consist, mainly, in the parts employed in ironing the brim, and in the mechanical provisions for n'ianipulating the iron used for the side of the crown.

Figure l shows the improved machine in perspective.

Figure 2 is an edge and front riew ofthe vibratory arm and its attachments, with thc hollow face-plate on which the brim is finished.

Figure 3 is the platform-top of the main frame and the `movable supports for two irons, the bearings and irons removed therefrom. v

The same letters refer to the same parts in each.

The main stand, of which tig. 3 shows the top, is designated by A.

Below, in front, is the main shaft B, upon which are the small pulley C, the bevel-gear Z, the main drivingpulley E, and the two swinging arms, F and G.

Another pulley, D, thereon, may serve to drive the shaft which carries the hat-block, for a purpose hereinafter stated, and a loose pulley, similar to E, may preferably also be put on this shait. l

Upon the top ofthe swinging arm F there is a platform that turns in any direction, in a horizontal plane,

upon the top of a shaft, y, which has its bearings on the arm.

Under the platform, and on the upper end of shalt y, is a small wheel, which turns (by an intermediate gear, if desired,) the small wheel and stud a, on the top of which, above the platform, is a bevel-wheel, which drives a corresponding bevel-gear on the shaft to which is attached the iron designated as No. l..

On the back of the arm l, near its lowcr end, may be attached a projecting lever-bar, upon which may be suspended a pressure-weight, w, adj ustable at pleasure, or a spring or elastic bandmay be substituted therefor.

This swingin g arm is alranged to slidel uponthe main shaft B, the bevel-gear Z thereon sliding casily, with its key, in an elongated key-seat on the shaft.

A bcnt lever, with a handle, n, may, it' desired, be employed, haring its rear lower end pivoted to the back bar of the main frame, (not showin) and being connected to the arm, near its bearings n'B, such lever serving to move the arm back or forth upon the shaft with facility.

Two handles, s and t, may also, if desired, be attached to the platform, near its extremities, for the purpose of regulating the' position of the iron No. 1 and its frame relatively to the hat-body.

A second swinging arm or vibratory frame, G, which has its hearings also on the main shaft B, has on its upper end other bearings for the shaft g, fig. 2, upon which shaft are a hollow face-plate, H, the hand-wheel, (if desired,) and the small pulley p; the latter driven whenever needed and atopton, bythe large pulley D on the main shaft B. A

The belt upon these pulleys D andp runs loose while the hat is heilig ironed, but is tightened, as hereafter mentioned, when the hat-body is being sponged prior to ironing. y

The small pulley C on the main shaft drives the shaft n., upon which shaft a bevel-wheel, m, or other shift-` ing-device, slides easily, and on which is also the gearing thatI drives the face-plate H whilst the hat is being ironed.

The sliding bevel-wheel in. turns a shaft in a long bearing attached toa support, shown detached at l,

Upoirthe end of this-shaft is iron No. 2. Iron No. 3 is a curved hollow box, its broadest side being presented to the hollow face-plate, its lower 01 concave side being bevelled or acute-angled at its inner edge, as shown, so as to iron the brim close up to the crown of the hat. v

This box secured to a piston-rod, that allows of its turning freely, to press equally on the brim.

The piston-rod enters a small cylinder, J, and has coiled upon it aspiral spring (not needed to be shown) that presses it outward and towards the hat when not held back and away from the hat by the handle K.

The force of the spring can be adjusted by a screwcap on the top of Athe cylinder. Y

In are shown the supports for the bearings/of t ironsNos. 2 and 3.

The tops of these supports,.for convenience of the required angular adjustments ofthe irons relatively to the hat-body, are made circular, with a bolt or bolts and, slots to coniinc the bearings to them.

These supports slide freely upon two round bars, the

one holding iron'No. 2 being drawn towards the crown,.

and pressed thereupon by a cord attached to the bottom of thc. support, which oord, passing-over a pulley in thc platform, has a suitable weight, h, suspended 'upon it, resembling in this latter respect the arrangement shown in our above-named patent. l

f The iron No. 3 is drawn towards the face-plate 'by a stili spiral spring, y. v f

iron No. 2 may be drawn back and held from work by a small crank, f, held at its dead-point by the bar f', the handle e serving for this purpose.

Iron N o. 3 maybe forced and held back in the'same manner bythe handle d.

We employ exible tubes to conduct` the gas through hollow shafts to the interiors ofthe irons Nos. land 2, and directly to the interiors of No. 3 and of the faceplate H, suitable vents heilig provided for the air from their interiors, and for the admission ofthe air needed for combustion.

The operator takes ho'ld of an ordinary hand-wheel, I, or of the frame G, and pulls the face-plate forwards into the position shown by the dotted lines in iig. 2.

He next secures the hat-block, with the hat thereon,

to the face-plate H, attaching it to the vcentral pointed screw, or to some other fitting appendage thereon, and brings down the tightener to the belt, and then proceeds to sponge the hat preparatory to ironing.

He then takes up the tightener, puts up the arm G, and the face-plate H then comes into operative connection with its driving-gear on shaftvu. v

By turning down the handle d, and turning upwards the handle e, ironI No. 3 is brought into pesition to act upon the brim, and iron No. 2 to act upon the tip or crown. v

Then, by laying hold of handles t and s, (if they be used,') and putting his knee to the bent lever it, or to the arm F, if the lever be not employed, he can twist,

turn, and move iron N o. l into any needed position, and

can consequently iron round crowns with the same facility that he `can iron flat ones, the machine being thus easily adj ustable, and adapted vfor operating upon any form of crown.

We claim-V 1. The swinging arm F, supporting a platform, carrying a revolving iron and its driving-mechanism, when the platform is arranged to be adjusted for ironing the sides of hat-crowns, substantially as set forth.

2. The hollow face-plate H constructed with teeth on its periphery, and arranged to be swung into or out of gear with its driving-mechanism, substantially as described.

The hollow-box iron No. 3, constructed with an acute-angled face on its concave side, combined with the hollow face-plate H.

4. The combination of the hollow face-plate H and l hollow-box iron N o. 3, when the latter is arranged with its shank or piston playing in a cylinder and under spring-pressure. 5. The combination of the slides which carry the boxes or bearings for the irons, with the slotted adjustable plates which support the irons.

GEORGE W. .STOUIH JOHN O. RICHARDSON. lVitnesses:

WM. M. Goonnve, EDWARD OOLLVER, 

